Never heard about this film, but it looked promising. The main attraction was Seann William Scott, the lead actor. As the film started and in the credits we saw two names, immediately we thought this film had been disowned by the studio as it appeared it went to DVD before its commercial release.
"Stark Raving Mad" turned out to be a surprise. Sure, it could have been better, but actually, it keeps the viewer involved in all that is going on. The club in Chinatown where the action takes place is next to a bank and Ben and his partners are trying to rob it. The club owner, Don Partridge, doesn't want the noise to go too loud, but that is exactly what Ben and his men are capitalizing on because they have to use explosives in order to get to the bank.
In the meantime, everything that could go wrong, happens. The wrong DJ shows for the job. There are a couple of albums that Ben wants to be played at certain times, as they are blasting the walls. Unknown to Ben, the place has been infiltrated by the FBI. Because Ben is instrumental in saving an undercover agent, he gets this man's good will. The plan is clever, but it has a lot of risks. Ultimately, the gang is able to do the job and fool Gregory, a sadist criminal, and the Chinatown gang that thinks they can get their hands in the loot.
Seann William Scott makes a wonderful Ben. Mr. Scott, who has worked on comedies before, shows he knows what he is doing and at the same time shows a range that was hard to imagine he had. Tim Sharp, who plays Rikki, Ben's closest associate, has some good moments. Lou Diamond Phillips is perfectly villainous as Gregory. Adam Arkin is seen as the owner of the club in which the action takes place.
Directors Drew Daywalt and David Schneider, who also collaborated on the screen play, clearly demonstrate they know how to stage the heist and both seem to be having fun with the young cast they gathered.
"Stark Raving Mad" turned out to be a surprise. Sure, it could have been better, but actually, it keeps the viewer involved in all that is going on. The club in Chinatown where the action takes place is next to a bank and Ben and his partners are trying to rob it. The club owner, Don Partridge, doesn't want the noise to go too loud, but that is exactly what Ben and his men are capitalizing on because they have to use explosives in order to get to the bank.
In the meantime, everything that could go wrong, happens. The wrong DJ shows for the job. There are a couple of albums that Ben wants to be played at certain times, as they are blasting the walls. Unknown to Ben, the place has been infiltrated by the FBI. Because Ben is instrumental in saving an undercover agent, he gets this man's good will. The plan is clever, but it has a lot of risks. Ultimately, the gang is able to do the job and fool Gregory, a sadist criminal, and the Chinatown gang that thinks they can get their hands in the loot.
Seann William Scott makes a wonderful Ben. Mr. Scott, who has worked on comedies before, shows he knows what he is doing and at the same time shows a range that was hard to imagine he had. Tim Sharp, who plays Rikki, Ben's closest associate, has some good moments. Lou Diamond Phillips is perfectly villainous as Gregory. Adam Arkin is seen as the owner of the club in which the action takes place.
Directors Drew Daywalt and David Schneider, who also collaborated on the screen play, clearly demonstrate they know how to stage the heist and both seem to be having fun with the young cast they gathered.